December 4th and 5th: Cultivating Regional Food Security: Recent Research in Urban-Rural Food Systems

[Kathy, Salish Sea Trading Coop]

Hi all,

1. I'll be attending this conference for impact on sail transport, and
will write up a summary for us. Our friend Richard Conlin will be one
of the speakers. I excerpt two relevant sessions below.

2. Please also hold Saturday, December 11th for the sailing co-op's
2011 Planning Retreat; part of it will be open to everyone and we're
eager to hear your feedback. Fulvio will be sending out the invitation
to interested skippers and sailors.

Thanks,
Kathy

Cultivating Regional Food Security: Recent Research in Urban‐Rural
Food Systems
http://depts.washington.edu/uwbg/news/food-security/

Register now for the conference at the University of Washington
Botanic Gardens Center for Urban Horticulture December 4-5, 2010, with
the goal of increasing collaboration among community leaders and
residents to create a more sustainable regional food system in terms
of production, land use and equitable access to food.

Co-hosted by the UW Botanic Gardens and Washington State University
Extension, the conference brings together a diverse audience including
urban gardeners, agriculture organizations and policy-enacting
legislators. Nearly three dozen speakers will present emerging
research on topics ranging from urban soils, food markets, urban/rural
economic interdependence and public health. Work groups will outline
post-conference initiatives.

Session B: Food Availability Is Inadequate
In our rapidly urbanizing region, improving food security may require
adaptation of land use policies and creation of new infrastructure for
food processing and distribution.
Getting Food to Market (B1) – Not all farmers can bring their produce
to a farmers market or sell CSA shares. Which transportation and
marketing steps need transformation to reducing barriers for growers
while maintaining a safe food system?

Plenary Session 1 – The Urgency of Cultivating Regional Food Security
The food security of the region is threatened by vulnerable
transportation networks, increasing energy costs, population growth
and sprawl, as well as climate change, which will impact water and
land for food production and bring climate refugees to our region from
other parts of the US. The urgency is to plan now for increased food
production in our area, strengthened markets for producers, and
conservation efforts to ensure safe food and healthy environment.

[Jonah Manning]

Wow Kathy ... that sounds like good stuff.  I was back in South Carolina this past week and talked to several people I find to be "intellegent", and we were thinking about some of these issues explicitly.
For me though, I have a training all weekend and can't change it.  It is too bad for me.   However, I can jot in Dec.11.

Enjoy the conference.  Pehaps you can fill me in on the high points sometime.

jonah.

--
Jonah Manning

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